Eatsa

After the very sad, sad closure of Crepes-a-Go-Go on Telegraph Ave., a new food place has replaced it. Eatsa is an interesting new-age food service spot. I describe it like that because it is completely unconventional; there are no people involved in the interaction between ordering and receiving food. You fill out an order on one of their iPad stands, or on their app, and a few minutes later, your food is placed into a little glass cubicle that you double tap to open. It's bizarre and new and I almost love it.

Except for the fact that their orders are inconsistent. That's to be expected since it's a new concept and there are a few kinks to work out. Many of their options are spicy as well, which I tend to avoid. Also, since they don't handle meat, the main protein options are tofu or mushrooms, neither of which I am a fan of. To avoid both of those options, I tried to build my own bowl my first time there, with a warm quinoa base and seven additional ingredients. This ended up costing over $10 and there was barely half a meal in the bowl. It was delicious, but I was far from full and satisfied.

The second time around was a bit better. I ordered their pre-built burrito bowl, which had mushrooms, but at least there was enough food. However, it being a burrito bowl made it not too different from Chipotle right across the street, so I don't see the point of choosing to go to Eatsa instead, aside from the humanless experience (which I do appreciate, especially as a person with social anxiety). Overall, I'd say it's an interesting experience, and I would recommend it to other people for the experience of ordering there, but it's not for me, at least not in its current state. Hopefully, if they offer alternatives like grilled eggplant or other proteins, I'd go back again and enjoy it more. ◊